NHL teams to don helmet decals in honor of Gaudreau brothers

The NHL unveiled the latest tribute to Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau on Monday, announcing all teams will be donning a special helmet decal in honor of the brothers to start the 2024-25 campaign.

The decorative sticker will be in place until Oct. 24 when the Los Angeles Kings host the San Jose Sharks in the last home opener.

The decal features a "G" with Nos. 13 and 21 flanking it on either side. Johnny wore the former during his 11 years in the NHL and Matthew donned the latter with Boston College.

The Gaudreau brothers were struck and killed by a suspected drunk driver on Aug. 29 in their home state of New Jersey. The funeral was held Sept. 9 in suburban Philadelphia.

Countless tributes have poured in for Johnny and Matthew over the past month. Many NHL teams have honored them with a 13-second moment of silence during the preseason, while fans paid their respects with candlelight vigils in Calgary and Columbus, the two cities where Johnny spent his professional career.

The Blue Jackets are keeping Johnny's locker-room stall in place all season and will hang his jersey in it both at home and on the road. Columbus also announced in mid-September that its players will wear a blue memorial helmet decal throughout the campaign, as well as a No. 13 patch on their jerseys.

The Philadelphia Flyers, meanwhile, have invited Johnny and Matthew's father, Guy, to hit the ice with the team as a guest coach.